


This Life Ain't What It Seems

by Foxesandwolves



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Genie/Djinn, F/M, Magic Stiles, Sterek Week 2016, sterek fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-27 03:24:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8385328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foxesandwolves/pseuds/Foxesandwolves
Summary: Hello everyone! it’s day three of Sterek week and today’s theme is mythology and folklore. I decided to do a genie au that’s loosely based off the Supernatural episode, What Is and What Should Never Be. The title is taken from Dream by Imagine Dragons. I hope you enjoy!





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is unbeta'd. All mistakes are my own.

Derek’s eyes fluttered open when he felt the warm sun streaming through the curtains. He stretched languidly before rolling over and pressing his front against his mate’s back. Last night had been absolutely perfect, he thought to himself as he nuzzled the back of Stiles’ neck, inhaling deeply at his scent. He smiled privately as he recalled the previous night’s events.

“Stiles, are you almost ready?” Derek called up the stairs as he fiddled with his tie.

“Just a second!” Stiles voice drifted downstairs. Derek smiled as he listened to the man’s nervous heartbeat as he muttered softly to himself.

A moment later Stiles came bounding down the steps in a well-fitted black suit looking devastatingly beautiful. Derek’s breath hitched as he took in the slight blush on Stiles’ cheeks, and the way his thick brown hair was artfully messy. Stiles’ warm amber eyes glistened with contentment as he looked at Derek shyly.

“Okay,” Stiles smiled, “Let’s go before were late,”

“You’re the one who was taking forever,” Derek pointed out jokingly.

Stiles shot Derek a look of mock disbelief, “Excuse me for wanting to look nice. Next time I’ll just wear sweatpants,”

“It was one time, Stiles,” Derek said, exasperated, ushering Stiles out the door and to the car.

“It was our first date and you wore sweatpants,” Stiles reminded, sing-songingly.

“In my defense, I was unaware that it was a date,” Derek smiled, opening the car door for his boyfriend.

“I took you to my favorite diner, Der,” Stiles continued once Derek got into the car.

“I know but at the time I thought you just wanted to you know… hang out,” Derek blushed.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” Stiles answered, glaring playfully.

“So you’re only dating me because of my looks?” Derek asked with a hint of insecurity.

“You know that’s not true, Der,” Stiles answered sincerely. Derek fought a smile when he heard the sound of his mate’s steady heartbeat.

 “Holy shit, this place is amazing,” Stiles whispered, awed, as soon as they entered the restaurant, “This must have cost a million dollars,” Stiles muttered self-consciously. 

“Not quite a million,” Derek answered, chuckling softly when he heard Stiles’ worried gasp. 

“Hi, I have a reservation for two under Hale,” Derek smiled at the hostess.

She checked the reservation list before leading them to a secluded table tucked in the back.

Stiles pulled out Derek’s chair and smiled cheekily when the older man sighed fondly.

After they ate, and sat waiting for the check to come, Derek realized Stiles’ scent reeked of anxiety. Now that he thought about it, the anxious scent wafting off his mate had strengthened as soon as dinner came close to an end.

“What’s wrong, babe?” Derek’s brows furrowed in concern as he watched his mate fiddle with something in his pocket.

“Nothing,” Stiles replied nervously, “I just-can I ask you something?” Stiles asked, worrying his bottom lip.

“Yeah, Stiles, anything,” Derek answered seriously.

“Okay, so I’ve been thinking of ways to tell you and I had thought out this perfect script of exactly what to say to you but I just keep looking at you and thinking that no script could put into words how I feel right now. So I’m just going to do my best to tell you. I’m looking at you right now, Derek, and I can actually see myself with you for a long time and I’ve felt like this for a while. Honestly, Der, I never thought in a million years that you would even be my boyfriend. I never thought that I would find someone like you who actually gives a damn about me, and what I have to say. You don’t get mad when I leave my socks under the bed or my wet towels on the floor, even though I know how much it annoys you. You never tell me to shut up when I’m rambling, and for some reason you actually listen to what I’m saying instead of just nodding along and pretending to listen. I look at you every morning when your hair is a mess, when you have creases in your skin from the sheets, whenever you have dried drool on the corner of your mouth- “

“I don’t drool,” Derek mumbled defensively.

Stiles continued, unperturbed, “I’ve seen you smile at me first thing when you wake up, like you’re actually glad I’m beside you. And every time I look at you I feel this weight in my chest that I can’t explain. I feel warm and safe with you, and I feel butterflies when I look at you. You make me feel secure and safe, nervous and excited all at once, and I want to see that smile on your face when you wake up every single day. So, Derek Hale, will you marry me?” Stiles asked getting down on one knee beside Derek with wide hopeful eyes that glistened with unshed tears.

Derek sat shocked as he soaked Stiles’ words in. Stiles waited anxiously for Derek’s response, and the silence in the restaurant was deafening.

Derek stared at Stiles, blinking back tears, before nodding furiously, “Yes, I’ll marry you,” Derek answered breathlessly.

Stiles laughed brightly, relieved, before slipping the silver band onto Derek’s finger. They grinned dopily at each other as the restaurant erupted in cheers and applause.

Derek stared at the ring in awe as he twisted it around his finger taking in the details of it.  Their initials were engraved on the bottom in a dainty cursive script, with a triskelion in between their respective initials.

“Look at the inside,” Stiles urged, excitedly.

Derek took the ring off and looked at the inside of the band in small script it read:  _1/11/11._

“It’s the day we first met,” Stiles said shyly, “Do you like it?”

“I love it,” Derek grinned, putting the ring back on before reaching across the table to hold Stiles’ hand.

 

* * *

 

The sound of his fiancé waking up pulled him out of his thoughts.

“Good morning,” Stiles greeted sleepily as he rolled over to face Derek.

Stiles’ hand found his and Derek frowned at their intertwined fingers. He could have sworn that Stiles had a mole on the inside of his right ring finger. Or was it on his left? No, it was definitely on his right. He knew the hands that helped him when he- when he what? A heavy feeling settled in his gut, something was wrong. He knew to trust his instincts, but he didn’t know what they were trying to tell him. Stiles was his mate. This was their life, Derek thought.

He inhaled deeply once more, trying to calm himself as he basked in the scent of his mate… No this is wrong, his wolf screamed. Stiles scent was sweeter than normal. He knew the scent of his mate, it filled his nostrils even when Stiles wasn’t around. It was ingrained all throughout his home, and on himself, but this was their home, right? His wolf continued to grow unsettled, realizing that this wasn’t his Stiles who smelled of apples, cinnamon, warmth and medication.

“Derek,” Stiles-No, not Stiles- asked worriedly.

“Yeah?” Derek replied, trying to calm his wolf.

“I asked you if you were okay,” Not Stiles repeated.  

Derek stared at not Stiles, studying his features, his eyes were wrong. They were too gold. He had four moles on the side of his face, near his ear, not 3 like the real Stiles, his Stiles, had. The hair was close but it was too dark, and much too neat to ever belong to Stiles. How did he not notice this? He berated himself.

Derek’s breath hitched as he watched his surroundings begin to fade.

_“Derek,”_

Not Stiles’ face grew blank.

_“Derek,”_

The room grew cold.

_“Derek!”_

It was dark. Warm hands were holding the sides his face.

_“Please wake up,” the pleading voice echoed, “Please, Der, open your eyes,”_

Derek fought against the cold, allowing the voice to guide him. He focused on the feeling of warmth that the hands caressing his face brought. He fought against the darkness that wanted to swallow him.

Derek’s eyes fluttered open and his eyes met amber ones. His Stiles. Derek closed his eyes tightly, allowing himself to bask in the feeling of  _safety,_   _love, and_   _mate_ , that was brought upon by the presence of his Stiles.

“I thought I lost you,” Stiles whispered, barely audible, his thumb twitched against Derek’s cheek ever so slightly.

Derek felt a tug at his chest, that wasn’t real. None of it was real. He never got to celebrate a four-year anniversary with Stiles. He’d never get to wake up by his mate’s side, or feel his warmth against himself. Derek would never get to marry his Stiles and grow old with him. It wasn’t real.

“What was it?” Derek asked looking lost.

“A genie,” Stiles answered, slowly dropping his hands from the older man’s face.

Derek almost whined from the loss of contact.

“It was feeding off your life force while you dreamed,” Stiles informed gently.

Derek hummed in acknowledgement.

“What did it show you?” Stiles asked curiously, “You look sad. Like you didn’t want to wake up,”

“I didn’t,” Derek replied curtly, standing up shakily. He ached all over but it was his chest that ached the most. He couldn’t tell Stiles and risk losing everything they had. They were friends now, and Derek refused to lose that.

“Must have been pretty good then,” Stiles stated nonchalantly, “Let’s go home and get you cleaned up,”

“How did you kill it?”

“Deaton gave me a spell, and it was pretty simple. I said the magic words and poof! It was gone,” Stiles said excitedly, he had been working hard with Deaton and was excited about being a wizard, as he called it.

“Are you sure it’s dead?” Derek asked sharply. He didn’t want this thing coming back to kill more people.

“I’m pretty sure,” Stiles replied, “It did not go quietly. It was shrieking pretty loud, and then there was a bright blue light and then it was gone,” Stiles stated, his hand punctuating his words.

“Good job, Stiles,” Derek smiled at the younger man’s antics.

Derek pushed the pain in his chest down because having the real Stiles by his side could never compare to the fake Stiles in his dream. He walked beside his Stiles as he rambled on about how he figured out it was a genie, and how he and the pack tracked it down. He may not have Stiles as his boyfriend but he was content with the way things were now. Maybe one day he’d finally tell Stiles that they’re mates. Maybe one day he’d finally know what the real Stiles felt like wrapped in his arms, and how well their scents intermingled into one perfect scent. He decided he could wait for that day, no matter how long.

He would always wait for his mate.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
